Egg donation is the process in which fertile women at her reproductive age donate her viable egg to another woman who has infertility issues due to egg crisis (the female gamete) necessary for creating an embryo through fertilization with sperm.
Egg donor needs to visit the clinic where she first screened and only eligible candidates can select for egg donation. During egg donation, the egg donor receives some medication to stimulate egg production. Receiving the stimulation medication, the egg donor produces more viable eggs in a single cycle to facilitate an efficient egg donation process.
Then the eggs are collected from the donor's womb by inserting a needle attached with an ultrasound probe through the vaginal wall. The whole egg donation process is conducted under medical supervision. Delicately collected eggs have sent to the embryology department. An embryologist can evaluate the quality of each of the collected eggs. Every viable egg then fertilized by introducing the male partner's sperm, or sperm donor to create embryos. This whole process is known as in vitro fertilization (IVF).
During this process, the recipient also needs to prepare for receiving an embryo. The synchronization of the recipient's uterus is very important for preparing the uterine environment to support the embryo implantation. The recipient requires to take medications for synchronization of the menstrual cycle. Therefore, the recipient also needs to take a regular clinical consultation.
Egg donation is considered a noble job and becomes an effective treatment measure in assisted reproductive treatment for thirty years. Egg donation process gets popularity and many infertile women enjoy their motherly hood because of egg donation.
Egg banks also play a major role in the egg donation process. Egg recipients often take help from egg bank for donor selection. Egg banks take the responsibility for the shipments on a case to case basis and also coordinate with clinics for sending and receiving the collected eggs.
But recently the global scenario has changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It has estimated that 188 countries and territories affected and followed lockdown and social distancing policies to control the situation. Clinical set-ups are mostly utilized for Coronavirus treatments. In this condition, elective treatment like the assisted reproductive treatment has suggested postponing.
Many egg banks as well as fertility clinics of many countries have poised acquisition of donor egg until supplementary directives are declared by the fertility department working under the government of those countries.
But certain egg banks start their services as they have a sufficient amount of donor inventory which had procured before the arrival of COVID Pandemic. Intended parents can view and select from the inventory. However, some hurdles may restrict the shipping capabilities as these depend upon clinic and lab functionality. However, courier services, laboratory centers, and intended parent clinics also need to accept the shipments in proper time to provide benefits to the intended parents to avail the egg donation facility and continue their fertility treatment.